Introducing Your Newest Ally in EHR Adoption
The RI Regional Extension Center (REC) was formed out of a federal grant aimed to assist healthcare providers in adopting electronic health records (EHRs) and achieve the Meaningful Use of EHRs.
The Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) dispersed these funds through the creation of Regional Extension Centers (RECs), which are tasked with helping physicians in their area adopt EHR systems and qualify for the financial incentives that come with achieving Meaningful Use standards.
As a Rhode Island provider, partnering with REC provides you subsidies, tools, services, and guidance as you work to achieve Meaningful Use, but it’s also a guaranteed way to bring federal healthcare dollars into the state. The more participation we have from the state’s physician community, the more funds we are given by the ONC to make Rhode Island a continued leader in healthcare.
REC enrollment is FREE and AVAILABLE for “Priority” Primary Care Providers.
- Priority PCPs meet the following criteria:
- Provider Credentials of MD, DO, NP, PA, or CNMW
- Provider Specialties of Adolescent Medicine, Family Practice, General Practice, Internal Medicine, OB, GYN, Geriatrics, or Pediatrics
- Organization Type of Private Practice location of 10 or fewer providers, Community Health Center, Public Hospital, or other setting that serves underserved populations
Later this summer, we will open our program to Non-Priority Providers and Specialists. Currently only Priority PCP’s may enroll in the REC program.
The Rhode Island Quality Institute (RIQI), our parent organization, gives REC the tools, experience and support to make an EHR adoption as smooth and efficient as possible. RIQI is a unique public/private collaboration that has been operating since 2001 with the mission of improving the quality, safety and value of healthcare in Rhode Island through the adoption of health information technology (HIT).
Our stakeholders include: healthcare providers, consumers, integrated delivery systems and community hospitals, health insurers, professional associations, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization, behavioral health professionals, community health centers, skilled nursing and long-term care facilities, employers, academia, and state government.
As a chief HIT advocate in Rhode Island, we operate the state’s HIE network, currentcare, which allows the interchange of important health data between physicians in order to give the best and most comprehensive care to Rhode Island patients. We also manage the state’s $11 million federal HIE grant aimed at making our healthcare system more efficient and responsive on a broad scale. As a further service, we operate this website, DocEHRtalk.org, as forum for physicians and other care providers to learn and share insights on the path toward EHR adoption and improved quality of care.
